Clutched By the Beast
by marise-chan
Summary: Only the Devil below could know of that man's wicked ways, as did Ludwig. AU High School  human names  Ivan/Ludwig
1. The Malcontent of Modern Life

Clutched by the Beast

Chapter 1

Ludwig could feel his heart pumping at an erratic tempo as he stared down at his boarding pass. Oh what had brought him to this. Oh yeah... that. His eyes roved to his arm, where a single white line stood out on his skin. The scar. It's strange that such a thing could cause so many problems. Looking up he could see a few girls staring at him and he felt the rush of blood up into his face. God, they probably thought he was a cutter or something. His left hand went to tug his sleeve down but he stopped it, a wry twist of his lips accompanying it. 'He' would probably scold Ludwig if he ever heard that thought. Then again, he may just find out anyway. Only the devil below could know what Ludwig did of that man's wicked ways. And yet here was Ludwig, on his way to the beast's den. As thoughts of 'Him' surrounded Ludwig, he couldn't help but re-track back to the beginning of it all.

* * *

Gilbert. Well, really the Gilbirds at this point, but Gilbert was to blame for those. He could hear the fluttering of their wings all night, as they patrol the hall outside his door. Gilbert could call him crazy for saying that, but that's like calling the kettle black as they say. Ludwig was pretty sure his brother's mind was bordering on cracked... Well it's not like he was ever that sane to begin with but now... It's like he has gotten worse. It isn't the type of insanity you can really categorize either. Most would just call it "eccentric" but that didn't help Ludwig sleep at night.

"This is useless" he thought, turning another time in bed. The soft cooing coming from outside his door just caused him to feel even more irritable. Those little yellow birds were the bane of his existence. They ate, they pooed and they pecked and he had to be the one to take care of all their messes. He knew if he tried to leave it to Gilbert nothing would ever get done. Ludwig would rather do all the work in the house than live in a dump. He could feel the shudder run through him at the mere thought. Luckily though, he had been able to keep them out of his room so far. His Nice, Clean, Organized room. He sighed in contentment at that, a drop of pleasure in this sea of malcontent. He stayed in his room till his brother awoke for work, a thankful time for it was when the Gilflock (as they were affectionately named by Gilbert) would come together to greet their master in the morning. He swore that flock was sentient at times. With everything he needed for the day, Ludwig quickly exited his room, locked his door and headed down for the normal morning routine.

He must have looked angrier than he thought he was projecting. The instant he walked into school, he was barreled into by a worried Feliciano Vargas. His friend (his only friend) babbled to him as Ludwig walked to class.

"Veeeee! I was so worried when you didn't show up for our morning study group as usual. You're never late. I thought that you were going to be sick! Veeeeeeeeee! But I am happy that you made it before class started. Were you in a fight?"

Ludwig's heart started for a second and he stopped to stare at the other boy.

"Why would you think that?"

Ludwig could see some tension fall from Feli's face and a blush took its place.

"Oh, well, your hair is all... messy. I guess it just isn't like you to walk out without doing your hair."

Ludwig reached up to feel the disorderly strands. He had been trying to get out of the house quickly, and having had no sleep, seemed to have forgotten to slick his hair back. He must look odd. Continuing their trek to class, Ludwig couldn't help but think that the day couldn't get any worse.

Infamous words that one should never utter. Ludwig ended up forgetting his math homework, falling asleep in History, and getting tagged out in gym, something that never happened. By the last bell, he was feeling more than ready for school to be over. He bid Feli and his twin Lovino (who really only glowered at him in return) goodbye before heading back behind the school to cut across the fields. Running over to the fence line which was hidden by a thick of trees and bushes, Ludwig walked at a leisurely pace home, enjoying the fresh autumn air. But as he walked, Ludwig caught a sound on the breeze.

Looking ahead, Ludwig could make out 5 figures in the distance. His brow furrowed as he tried to make out who they might be. As he got closer though, he could hear that indistinguishable sound growing. It was a voice and whoever was producing it seemed to be yelling, their voice growing steadily louder as they screamed. The voice suddenly peaked before the field became silent. Ludwig dropped his hands from his ears, his face curling into disdain. Yes, he knew that voice. It belonged to Alfred Jones, an annoying boy if there ever was one. Maybe Ludwig was letting his own old prejudices get in the way but hell, he never liked that kid. Considering the number of other people with him, Ludwig could guess correctly who was out there with Jones and as he got closer he proved himself right.

Arthur Kirkland stood next to an angry Jones, his own posture mirroring his friend; to the left of them was Matthew, Jones' often forgotten brother. Ludwig had to admit he very rarely remembered the boy existed. To the right was Kiku. Ludwig couldn't help a small sense of anger from rising while looking at the boy. Kiku had been trying to get Ludwig to befriend Alfred, saying they would actually get along quite well. Traitor. That was the only word he could think when looking at him. The last boy, who seemed to be the center of attention at this little yelling fest was Ivan Braginski, the Russian foreign exchange student who was inducted into club Jones earlier that year. But that was where Ludwig finally noticed something odd. Beyond the blaze of his anger he could make out Ivan's stance. His hands held up while he tried to smile disarmingly, as if trying to defuse a tense situation. As Ludwig raked his eyes back over the other boys he could see that this was not some friendly get together behind the school. Alfred was gearing up, his stance shifting into one Ludwig knew very well. Oh did he.

Ludwig could feel his blood pumping as he stared ahead of him. The boys were starting to surround the Russian. Ludwig's mind began to slip as memories of middle school flooded into him. The angry shouting, the crunching of bones, the smacking of fists, the blood. Before he knew it, he was running towards the group, adrenaline pulsing through his veins. His eyes were focused on Alfred, as the teen began to wind up for the first punch. "SMACK!" Impact. The force of Ludwig's shove had Alfred 's punch veering off course onto a very surprised Kiku. The two fell to the ground heavily and for a second it was silent. Ludwig could hear his labored breath as he hunched into fight mode, ready for someone to move.

"What the Fuck!" Alfred was getting up, looking more than a little pissed. Lifting his eyes Ludwig met Alfred in a stare, confusion mixing with anger. "Bielshmidt? What the hell are you doing here?" Ludwig couldn't help it as a lilt of a sneer made its way onto his face.

"Well well, Jones, four against one. Never took you as a coward." That got a reaction. The confusion melted a way a bit as the hero got up.

"Get out of the way Bielschmidt. I have got nothing to do with you"

"Yes Ludwig, please. We are doing what is best." The German boy could hear Kiku pipe up from behind Alfred. He looked a little bruised but still good enough to stand.

"We need to teach this asshole a lesson!" Alfred looked livid as his pointed at the Russian, but Ludwig wasn't paying attention to their words anymore. He just wanted to fight. He needed to fight. Before another word could pass through Alfred's lips, Ludwig threw a quick jab at his face. The instant his fist met flesh, the tension of the situation compounded, exploding around him.

Matthew came up quick behind him, shoving Ludwig away from his twin. Ludwig could hear the sounds of a scuffle behind him as he took a true Alfred Jones punch to the face before returning one of his own flavor. A kick to the side. An elbow to the head. A punch on the spine. It was a twirling, violent mess, destruction and beauty rubbing up against one another. Before he knew it, he found himself back to back with the tall Russian, surrounded by Alfred and his gang and ready to continue duking it out till the last man stood. Right as the fight was reaching its climax, a voice carried on the wind found its way to the teenage battle. Looking back to the school, Ludwig could see a lone figure running towards their fight.

"Fuck"

Yao, Kiku's older brother and student teacher at Hetalia High, was sprinting towards them, a furrow of disapproval on his brow. With only a second to make his decision, Ludwig grabbed Ivan shoulder pushing him in the opposite direction of the School. The Russian made to look back at Ludwig, "Wha-"

"Come on!" Grabbing the silly pink scarf the boy wore, Ludwig gave a tug before just taking Ivan's hand and forcing the boy to sprint with him. Luckily, Ivan seemed to have figured out the situation and was keeping up with Ludwig as they sprinted past Kirkland and towards the street away from the school. Ludwig burned his way through memories as they sprinted through the streets, block by block they ran before making it to Germania Park.

Losing the last of his steam, Ludwig let go of Ivan hand, instead falling heavily onto the grass. He was breathing in large gulps of air, trying to calm himself before hearing Ivan's thickly accented voice break through the fog of war.

"Are you ok?" he asked. Ludwig looked up, he almost forgot the other boy was there.

"Huh.. oh yeah. I'm fine, just trying to catch my brea-" Ludwig stopped mid sentence as his eyes met the sight of his companion. The Russian boy stood in front of him with his normal odd smile, but his face was covered in blood. So much so that it had already started dripping down off his face and onto his pink scarf and white oxford.

"Oh my god. Are you ok?" Ludwig asked, pointing to Ivan's face. The Russian boy looked confused as he brought his hand up to his face before pulling back to look at his fingers.

"Oh, don't worry. It's not mine, hehe." Ivan had a disarming smile spread wide as he said it, though it was a little warped by all the blood. Ludwig just nodded taking in the blood splatters on the boy's clothing and deciding that what Ivan said was probably true.

The smile suddenly drooped, "Oh my, hehe. You need to see your face." Ludwig touched his own face and winced.

"Alfred got you good, da?"

"Yeah heh, he did didn't he?" He couldn't help but smile, Ivan's good nature seemed infectious all of a sudden. Both teens laughed on the grass, the post-fight mood was positive, even if the fight itself had ended without a winner.

Suddenly a buzzing sound filled the air. Looking around, the boys deduced that it was coming from Ludwig's bag. Rummaging through his sack, Ludwig found the source of the disturbance, his phone.

"Oh crap" Ludwig whispered to himself, looking down at his phone.

"Who is it?"

"Ah, it's just my brudder. I'm supposed to be home making dinner." Ludwig answered while picking himself up off the grass.

"Well I guess I'll see you around Ivan." He said before pelting off home, never once looking back at the strange boy watching him go.

* * *

_He is interesting, yes? Yes. But so, how do they say it here, "uptight". Hmmmm. Yes. That should get remedied. Yes. Yes indeed. _

_

* * *

_

_**AN: **_Well i think that first chapter went well.

Just wanted to let you know that this story is going to be a comedy/romance/angst and that as the story goes on, I'm planning on making it progressively darker, but the humor will still be interspersed.

Hope you all enjoy it

:D


	2. It Begins

Clutched by the Beast

CH.02

It Begins

**_"LUDWIG! LUDWIG, NOOO!"_**

**_ He could hear the voice scream his name as he fell back, his foot losing its tread on the loose cliff face. Blue eyes stared into his own, once victorious, they were now melting into fear. Hands reached out for him, but he was falling too fast. He turned his head, watching the ground rush closer. His lifted his arms. He braced for impact. _**

* * *

Ludwig shot up in bed, his eyes wide and his breath wild. Searching around himself, he found familiar walls. He was in his bedroom. Calming down, he gave a deep sigh before collapsing back into his bed. His eyes shot to his right arm and the single scar that laid on its surface. His brow furrowed as he stared at it before getting back up. It was time to get ready anyways.

Ludwig left his room ready for the day. He had double checked his bag to make sure he didn't forget any homework this time and slicked his hair back into his customary style. As he descended the stairs, Ludwig found himself slowing down. Something wasn't right here. He hadn't heard a single tweet of a Gilbird since waking and now, looking around the living room, he could only find traces of their existence. Some yellow feather dusted the coffee table, a few new holes were pecked into the sofa, the top of the book shelf looked to be littered with new droppings... but no Gilbirds. Ludwig felt a chill run up his spin as he shuffled over to the kitchen door, unable to tear his eyes away from the eerie room. Pushing the door open first, Ludwig shook his head before entering, _How unsettling._..

"Oh Gilbert, you dirty boy, take me right now!"

It was a scene that would forever be burned into Ludwig's mind whether he liked it or not. There, on the dining table Ludwig had just cleaned yesterday, laid Gilbert's very annoying best friend, Francis Bonnefoy, completely naked. Ludwig's eyes were glued to the man on the table as he made some rather crude gestures to what Ludwig would assume to be his brother but his brain was unable to comprehend that a person was NAKED in his KITCHEN.

"Bwah?" was the only sound he seemed able to produce. That sound was all that was necessary to garner the Frenchman's attention as his eyes rolled over to view the new Bielschmidt in the room. His lips curved in an amused smirk as he tossed his blonde mane before asking, "You like what you see, lil Luddy?"

Ludwig could vaguely hear the snickering of his brother before he freaked. "What the Fuck are you doing on the table!"

Francis sat up, giving Ludwig an even better look at his manly bits (not that Ludwig wanted to see them) before giving him a pensive look. "On the table? Well I was asking your brother for a rather good fucking obviously." Gilbert was full on laughing this point over at the counter, probably at the way Ludwig's face was become very much akin to a tomato.

"Oh my god! Put some damn pants on!" Ludwig screeched, finally having the mind to place his forearm over his eyes as he pointed at Francis.

"Put pants on? But I like being naked. Plus, your brother doesn't seem to mind." It was after that, when Ludwig felt like he was just about to explode that his brudder stepped in.

"Alright alright. If you make us some pancakes he will get some pants on." Ludwig uncovered his eyes enough to give his brudder a mean look.

"Pancakes? To make him put on the pants he should already have on!"

Gilbert just shrugged, but Ludwig could see the shit eating grin he was wearing. "Grrrrr"

"Ok. I promise I will put on pants if you make breakfast. Ok?" Ludwig missed the wink that Francis sent his way, but looking at the clock on the wall, he only had a little time before he had to leave for school. With a sigh, he gave up.

"Fine fine, but I better see pants on you by the time I'm done."

"Deal!" His brother exited towards the living room, giving his brudder a thumbs up. As Ludwig started to move towards the counter he felt a hand slide over his ass.

"Hey!" But Francis was already prancing out the door. With the kitchen silent Ludwig leaned onto the counter his mind roving on this new information. Francis had the audacity to lie on his table. Naked! He would have to start washing it down before every meal now that he knew what that Frenchman was capable of.

"I don't hear the clatter of pancake magic!" Gilbert yelled from the living room, the "ohohoho" chuckles of Francis accompanying his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he yelled back before getting onto the pancake making.

He was just finishing up frying the last of the pancakes when he heard the door swing open. Looking behind him, he found his brudder looking out the back window. He started to speak as he turned to look at the blonde. "Hey Ludwig, do you- what happened to your face!" he yelled pointing at his brudder's cheek. Ludwig raised his hand to the cut on his face as the day before came back to him.

"Oh... I was in a fight." He mumbled out.

"A fight! Well it's been a while since you've been in one of those hasn't it?" his brudder laughed.

Ludwig nodded "yeah".

"You win?"

"Um" Ludwig furrowed his brow, "it got interrupted before we could finish"

"Really? Bummer haha." His brother slapped him in the back causing Ludwig to wince. He forgot Mathew had elbowed him there.

"Well the pancakes are just about done if Francis has his pants on." Ludwig turned back to finish up the last of the batter.

"Really? Awesome. I'll just- oh wait." Ludwig turned his head back to Gilbert.

"What?"

"Aha that was what I was going to tell you. You know a kid named Ivan?" Gilbert asked. Ludwig gave him a perplexed look before responding.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because he's standing on our front porch." Gilbert turned to go yell at Francis that the pancakes were done as Ludwig stood in front of the burners.

_Ivan? At my house? Did I even tell him where I live?_ Ludwig tried to remember if he had but everything after school seemed really hazy. Putting the last pancake with the others, Ludwig headed out into the living room. _I must have told him where I live. How else could he know?_ Gilbert and Francis rushed past him into the kitchen as Ludwig walked to the front door. Swinging open the heavy oak he found Ivan standing on the porch looking out into the trees.

"Ivan?"

"The birds are so lovely on this side of the park, da?" Ludwig blinked, confused at Ivan's statement.

"Huh"

Ivan turned around to look at Ludwig, a childish smile spread wide on his face. "They don't sing nearly as much over by Mr. Winter's house."

"Uh huh." Ludwig felt as if he had walked into the middle of a conversation. He felt distinctly lost. _Maybe I have a concussion?_

"Oh sorry. I has not explained why I am over. I vas valking to school when I notice your house vas on the way. You vill valk to school with me, da?" Ivan's emotions were once again infectious to Ludwig and before he could comprehend it he was smiling with the Russian.

"Oh sure. I just have to finish up breakfast and we can head out"

"Breakvast?"

"Yeah. I made pancakes... Would you like some?" Ludwig quickly caught the wanting look in Ivan's violet eyes.

"That vould be most vonderful"

Breakfast took much longer than usual with Ivan at the table but Ludwig didn't notice. He found himself enjoying the Russian's company and it helped him ignore his brudder and Francis's immaturity. When they finally made it to school they only had a few minutes to get to class. As Ludwig talked to Ivan he vaguely heard a familiar sound before feeling the impact of one Italian.

"Veeeeeeeeeeee! Ooomf" Feliciano gripped the side of the tall blonde in a fierce hug before looking up into his face. "Ludwig! You are late again. What are you- Oh my! What happened to your face?" the brunette exclaimed, jumping up and down to get a closer look at the cut on Ludwig's cheek. Ludwig face burned up in shame as he looked away from his friend.

"Well... Um..."

"Ludwig protected me from Jones, da?" Feliciano stop jumping to spin around and stare up at the even taller and blonder boy beside Ludwig.

"Waaahh? He protected you?" The Italian's face seemed to be full of confusion for a second, then his brown eyes hardened and he turned back to his German friend. "You were in a fight!" Feliciano smacked Ludwig in the arm in his exclamation but it wasn't hard enough to cause much of a reaction in the blonde. Ludwig just rubbed the back of his neck trying to look anywhere but in his best friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry. It was a-"

"You promised Ludwig! You promised you would never fight again!" Feliciano looked close to tears as he yelled at Ludwig in the now barren halls. The bell had rung sometime during their conversation but neither boy seemed to notice.

"I know. I know. Its just-"

"He vas protecting me" Ivan spoke up again. Feliciano sniffled and looked ready to retort when the Russian boy cut him off. "I do not know of these promises, but Ludvig helped make sure I vas not hurt yesterday. I do not understand your... anger at him?"

"Well.. I..."

"It is very admirable of Ludvig to put himselv in so much danger for someone he did not know, da?" It seemed like more of a statement than a question to Ludwig as he watched his new friend stare down at his oldest friend. The smile of the Russian's face didn't seem as friendly as it did earlier this morning. More like a warning. Ludwig leaned over to Ivan to tell him to lay off. He stopped though when he heard the quite murmuring of Feli.

"I guess... I guess you're right. I just don't want Ludwig to get hurt again..." Ivan didn't show any signed of curiosity at Feliciano's confession and Ludwig ideally wondered if he had heard anything about him from his time around Jones's group before Ivan answered.

"Da. I understand. You do not have to vorry small one. I vill make sure Ludvig does not get hurt, da."

From behind his tears Ludwig watched Feliciano's eyes brighten. "You promise to make sure he won't get into another fight?"

"Da. I promise he vill not get hurt." Ivan nodded his head in Feli's direction with a large smile which was readily returned by the Italian.

"Come. Let us get to class bevore we are much too late" Ivan waved them away from the front doors and into the school, with Feli skipping happily after him, chatting loudly about many inane things. But Ludwig kept back a pace, his brows furrowed. _Was I the only one who caught that he didn't promise to keep me from actually fighting?_

* * *

**_Dis... Italian boy will be much problems. He keeps Ludvig much to__o__... restrained, yes? Yes. He vill have to be taken care of..._**

* * *

Damn Ive had that sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be posted for a while. Sorry guys. Forgot lol

**_T_**hanks to all who have reviewed. im happy some people are liking this :)


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